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The Knoxville City Council approved submittal of the annual application for Federal Aviation Administration entitlement funds at their meeting this week. According to City Manager Dick Schrad the FAA provides 95% of the funding needed for airport improvements across the country but in order to qualify the airport must have a consistent five year capital improvements plan in place and approved each year by both the airport commission and city council.

Schrad says the Knoxville Municipal Airport is beneficial to the area as an economic development engine and is used for many purposes such as private use, business flights to and from the area, race fans and drivers and of course Mercy One.

Improvements that are scheduled at the airport in the next five years include taxiway and apron reconstruction, apron expansion, installation of a perimeter fence and conventional hanger and a runway environmental assessment.